Hen&#39;s nest.



ALBERT JESSUP, OF BEARDSLEY, MINNESOTA.

HENS NEST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 191.0.

Application filed September 3, 1907. Serial No. 391,156.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J ussnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beardsley, in the county of Bigstone and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hens Nests, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to nests, and more particularly to hens nests, and has for its object to provide a nest of this character employing a means for concealing the eggs as they are laid, and conveying the eggs to a receptacle carried by the nest, and thus prevent the hens eating the eggs, as is the case with nests in which no means are employed for concealing the eggs after they are laid.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and it will be understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described, may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the sev eral views,

Figure 1 1s a side elevation of the nest. Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4,-4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5,-5 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the nest frame a portion of the padding being removed as indicated by the irregular lines through the center of the tray.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a nest 10, which nest includes the bottom 11, the front wall 12, the rear wall 13 and the end walls 14. The end walls 14 are inclined upwardly as shown, and hinged as at 15 to the front wall 12, is a closure 16.

Mounted within the nest and at a point midway between the closure 16 and bottom 11 there is shown a rectangular frame 17, which comprises the side bars 18, and the end bars 19. Attached to the frame 17 by screws or like fastenings 20 there is shown an egg receiving tray 21, the side and end walls 22 of which are inclined downwardly, as shown.

To conveniently incline the walls 22 of the tray 21, I preferably slit the same from each corner and toward the center, as shown at 23. The center of the tray is provided with an opening 24, the purpose of which will presently appear. The tray 21 is padded as at 25.

Beneath the opening 24, in the tray 21 there is shown an arm 26 and this arm is hinged at its rear end to the rear wall 13 of the nest 10, as shown at 27. The forward end of the arm 26, is padded as at 28, and this portion of the arm lies directly beneath the opening 24 in the tray 21. To keep the arm 26, normally in a horizontal position, I secure to this arm, a staple 29, to which is attached a cord 30, the free end of which is passed over a. pulley 31, carried by the nest 10, and is provided with a weight 32.

Beneath the arm 26 and the opening 24 in the tray 21, and fixed to the side walls 14 of the nest 10 there is shown a delivery tray 33, and this tray comprises the side bars 34, and the end bars 35. The tray 33 is padded as shown at 36, and this tray is upwardly inclined, and its upper end is spaced from the arm 26, to allow free movement of the arm.

The end bars 34 of the tray 33 are inclined outwardly as shown, to present a broad surface, toward the front of the nest and thus prevent the eggs rolling off the tray.

An opening 36', is formed in the front wall 12 of the nest 10, and the opening 36 is closed by a door 37 which is hinged at its lower end to the portion 11 of the nest, as shown at 38. The door 37 comprises the portion 39, which is adapted to close the opening 36, and a portion 40, which extends at right angles to the portion 39, and this portion 39 lies slightly above the tray 33 and in a position to receive eggs therefrom. To prevent the eggs rolling 01f of the portion 40 of the door 38, ends 41 are provided, and these ends connect the portions 39 and 40. The ends 41 are slotted as shown at 42 and the slots 42 receive pins 43 which extend from the walls 14, of the nest 10. The door 38 is provided with a handle 44, and a pivoted button 45 is pivoted to the front wall 12 of the nest 10 by means of which the door is held in a closed position.

In use, the nests are arranged in front of a chicken house 46, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings with the rear wall 13, extending toward the house. A spacing strip 47 is secured to the house 46, and beneath the outlet opening 48 therein and this strip 47, carries brackets 49, for attachment of the nest to the house 46. The closure 16 is removed and the hen allowed to nest on'the tray 17. It will thus be seen that when an eg is laid in this nest it will gravitate to an through the opening 24: and be deposited on the portion 28 of the arm 26. By means of its pivoted connection the arm 26, will deliver the eggs to the delivery tray 36, whereupon, the eggs will be carried toward the wall 12 of the nest, and received by the portion 40 of the door 38.

In Fig. 6 a plan view of the tray is shown from which a portion of the padding 25 has been removed, as indicated by the irregular line 50.

I claim- In a hens nest, the combination with a rectangular casing, having a nest supported therein, the sides of said nest converging downwardly to the center of the casing, and formed with a central opening, of a horizontally positioned arm pivoted to therear wall of said casing, a suspended weight connected to said arm the free end of the same beneath the openand adapted to retain ing in the nest to receive an egg, the front wall of said casing having an opening formed therein, a closure pivoted in said opening, an egg receiving plate extending inwardly from said opening and outwardly movable upon the pivotal movement of said closure, quadrant-shaped end plates having arcuate slots therein connecting the egg-receiving plate and the closure, pins secured in the ends of the casing extending into said slots, a tray disposed beneath said plate and extending inwardly and upwardly therefrom to the center of the casing, the inner free end of said tray being positioned beneath the opening in the nest and the inner end of the pivoted arm, said tray being of concavoconvex form and adapted to receive an egg to deliver the same upon said movable plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, f j V in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT JESSUP.

Witnesses: V

C. W. GEBHARD, EVA S. SMITH. 

